A key managerial responsibility is to set a proper pace for the department/organization. In doing so, managing communication of a sense of urgency is important.
De Sole, COO of Gucci, described this need for a "sense of urgency" when talking about his successfull effort with Tom Ford to turn the company around in the 90s:
"We were able to turn the company around because we were driven by an incredible sense of urgency. Tom and I share the same management philosophy: making immediate decisions and doing everything 3 days ago (...) We make quick decisions, with discipline and focus. It fels as though we were operating at the speed of light".
As Jack Welch once said "successful leaders move at 90mph in a 55mph world".
The end question being "how much can you really get done?". In particular in a turnaround situation with a company in distress, the "Ready, Fire, Aim" approach sometimes works best.
Naturally, the leader also needs to maintain strategic focus and discipline at the same time.
Ultimately, a manager can only move as fast as his team and the biggest challenge may be to keep everyone on board and happily moving forward. In these days of recession and economic crisis, that task is now made easier than ever. The need for urgency is evident to all.
Monday, October 13, 2008
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